Separation of renal medullary cells: isolation of cells from the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop.

A homogeneous population of single cells from the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TALH) has been isolated from the rabbit kidney medulla. A total medullary cell suspension was prepared by a series of collagenase, hyaluronidase, and trypsin digestions and separated on a Ficoll gradient (2.6-30.7% wt/wt). Morphologically, the cells isolated from the TALH were homogeneous and showed polarity within their plasma membrane structure, with a few blunt microvilli on their apical surface and deep infoldings of the basal-lateral membrane. Biochemically, the TALH cells were highly enriched in calcitonin-sensitive adenylate cyclase and Na, K-ATPase. Alkaline phosphatase and arginine vasopressin-sensitive adenylate cyclase, highly concentrated in proximal tubule and collecting duct, were present only in low concentrations in the TALH cells. Additionally, furosemide, a diuretic inhibiting sodium chloride transport in the TALH in vivo, inhibited oxygen consumption of the TALH cells in a dose-dependent manner. The TALH cells were viable, as judged by morphological appearance, trypan blue exclusion, the response of oxygen consumption to 2,4-dinitrophenol, succinate and ouabain, and the cellular Na, K and ATP levels.

Elasmobranch rectal gland cell: autoradiographic localization of [3H]ouabain-sensitive Na, K-ATPase in rectal gland of dogfish, Squalus acanthias.

Specific binding of radiolabeled inhibitor was employed to localize the Na-pump sites (Na,K-ATPase) in rectal gland epithelium, a NaCl-secreting osmoregulatory tissue which is particularly rich in pump sites. Slices of gland tissue from spiny dogfish were incubated in suitable [3H]ouabain-containing media and then prepared for Na,K-ATPase assay, measurement of radiolabel binding, or quantitative freeze-dry autoradiography at the light microscope level. Gross freezing or drying artifacts were excluded by comparison with additional aldehyde-fixed slices. Characterization experiments demonstrated high-affinity binding which correlated with Na,K-ATPase inhibition and half-saturated at approximately 5 microM [3H]ouabain. At this concentration, the normal half-loading time was approximately 1 h and low-affinity binding to nonspecific sites was negligible. Autoradiographs from both 1- and 4-h incubated slices showed approximately 85% of the bound [3H]ouabain to be localized within a 1-micrometer wide boundary region where the highly infolded basal-lateral cell membrane are closest to the mitochondria. These results establish that most of the enormous Na,K-ATPase activity associated with rectal gland epithelium is in the basal-lateral cell membrane facing interstitial fluid and not in the luminal membrane facing secreted fluid. Moreover, distribution along the basal-lateral membrane appears to be nonuniform with a higher density of enzyme sites close to mitochondria.

Electrogenic sodium/bicarbonate cotransport in rabbit renal cortical basolateral membrane vesicles.

The present studies examined the mechanism of bicarbonate transport across basolateral membrane vesicles prepared from rabbit renal cortex. Isotopic sodium uptake was stimulated by bicarbonate when compared with gluconate (2.5 nmol/mg protein per 5 s versus 1.4 nmol/mg protein per 5 s), and this process was inhibited by disulfonic stilbenes. Imposition of an interior-positive potassium diffusion potential further stimulated isotopic sodium uptake to 3.4 nmol/mg protein per 5 s, an effect that occurred only in the presence of bicarbonate and was blocked by disulfonic stilbenes. Kinetic analysis of the rate of bicarbonate-dependent sodium uptake as a function of sodium concentration revealed saturable stimulation with a Vmax of 2.7 nmol/mg protein per 2 s and a Km of 10.4 mM. The effect of bicarbonate concentration on bicarbonate-dependent sodium uptake was more complex. The present results demonstrate an electrogenic (negatively charged) sodium/bicarbonate cotransporter in basolateral membrane vesicles from the rabbit renal cortex. The electrogenicity implies a stoichiometry of at least two bicarbonate ions for each sodium ion.

Parathyroid hormonelike protein from human renal carcinoma cells. Structural and functional homology with parathyroid hormone.

A variety of solid tumors secrete proteins that are immunochemically distinct from parathyroid hormone (PTH) but activate PTH-responsive adenylate cyclase. Such PTH-like proteins have been proposed as mediators of the hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia frequently associated with malignancies. We purified to apparent homogeneity a PTH-like protein with a molecular weight of 6,000, that is produced by human renal carcinoma cells. The amino-terminal sequence of the PTH-like protein and that of human PTH were found to display at least five identities in the first 13 positions. The purified protein bound to PTH receptors, activated adenylate cyclase in renal plasma membranes, and stimulated cAMP formation in rat osteosarcoma cells. The PTH-like protein reproduced two additional effects of PTH, stimulation of bone resorption in fetal rat limb bone cultures and inhibition of phosphate uptake in cultured opossum kidney cells. These properties are consistent with a role for PTH-like proteins as mediators of the syndrome of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

p-Aminohippurate transport in basal-lateral membrane vesicles from rabbit renal cortex: stimulation by pH and sodium gradients.

p-Aminohippuric acid (PAH) uptake was studied in basal-lateral membrane vesicles prepared from rabbit renal cortex. An outwardly directed hydroxyl gradient (pHo = 6.0, pHi = 7.6) stimulated PAH uptake slightly over that when the internal and external pH values were equal at 7.6. A 100 mM sodium gluconate gradient directed into the basal-lateral membrane vesicles increased PAH uptake about 2-fold over that when N-methyl-D-glucamine or potassium gluconate gradients were present. When hydroxyl and sodium gradients were simultaneously imposed (pHo = 6.0, pHi = 7.6 and 100 mM sodium gluconate extravesicularly) PAH uptake was stimulated greater than with the pH or Na+ gradient alone. In fact, an 'overshoot' was observed. Countertransport experiments showed that either intravesicular PAH or intravesicular PAH and Na+ could stimulate 3H-PAH uptake. Probenecid, an inhibitor of organic anion transport, inhibited both the hydroxyl-stimulated and Na+ gradient-stimulated PAH uptake but the greatest inhibition by probenecid was seen when the hydroxyl and sodium gradients were both present. Thus, it is proposed that the driving force for PAH accumulation across the basal-lateral membrane of the proximal tubule is a transport system which moves Na+ and PAH into the cell for an hydroxyl ion leaving the cell, i.e. a sodium-dependent anion-anion exchange system.

The binding of phenol red to rabbit renal cortex.

The binding of phenol red to the microsomal fraction of rabbit kidney cortex was rapid, reversible and consisted of two independent populations of binding sites: a high affinity and low capacity class which had an association constant of 11.29 - 10(3) M-1 and a binding capacity of 2.41 mumol phenol red bound per g of protein, and a low affinity binding population with an association constant of 0.80 - 10(3) M-1 and a maximal binding capacity of 55.06 mumol per g of protein. Probenecid (0.32 mM) competitively inhibited phenol red binding to only the high affinity binding site, whereas 2,4-dinitrophenol (0.77 mM) competitively inhibited phenol red binding to both the high and the low affinity population of binding sites. The binding of phenol red was highly sensitive to the cationic composition of the medium. The affinity of phenol red to the high and the low affinity binding populations was lowered by decreasing the sodium and potassium concentrations to 19 and 6 mequiv./l, respectively; however, the maximal binding capacity was unchanged. Calcium appeared to have no effect on the phenol red binding to the microsomes. All of these considerations suggest that the high affinity phenol red binding to the microsomal fraction may represent the interaction of phenol red with the physiological receptor necessary for organic acid transport at the peritubular membrane. Phenol red binding to the low affinity binding population may indicate an intracellular binding population which contributes to the intracellular accumulation of weak organic acids.

Sodium-chloride transport in the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop: evidence for a sodium-chloride cotransport system in plasma membrane vesicles.

Sodium transport mechanisms were investigated in plasma membrane vesicles prepared from the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TALH) of rabbit kidney. The uptake of 22Na into the plasma membrane vesicles was investigated by a rapid filtration technique. Sodium uptake was greatest in the presence of chloride; it was reduced when chloride was replaced by nitrate, gluconate or sulfate. The stimulation of sodium uptake by chloride was seen in the presence of a chloride gradient directed into the vesicle and when the vesicles were equilibrated with NaCl, KCl plus valinomycin so that no chemical or electrical gradients existed across the vesicle (tracer exchange experiments). Furosemide decreased sodium uptake into the vesicles in a dose-dependent manner only in the presence of chloride, with a Ki of around 5 X 10(-6) M. Amiloride, at 2 mM, had no effect on the chloride-dependent sodium uptake. Similarly, potassium removal had no effect on the chloride-dependent sodium uptake and furosemide was an effective inhibitor of sodium uptake in a potassium-free medium. The results show the presence of a furosemide-sensitive sodium-chloride cotransport system in the plasma membranes of the medullary TALH. There is no evidence for a Na+/H+ exchange mechanism or a Na+ -K+ -Cl- cotransport system. The sodium-chloride cotransport system would effect the uphill transport of chloride against its electrochemical potential gradient at the luminal membrane of the cell.

Activation of ion transport systems during cell volume regulation.

This review discusses the activation of transport pathways during volume regulation, including their characteristics, the possible biochemical pathways that may mediate the activation of transport pathways, and the relations between volume regulation and transepithelial transport in renal cells. Many cells regulate their volume when exposed to an anisotonic medium. The changes in cell volume are caused by activation of ion transport pathways, plus the accompanying osmotically driven water movement such that cell volume returns toward normal levels. The swelling of hypertonically shrunken cells is termed regulatory volume increase (RVI) and involves an influx of NaCl into the cell via either activation of Na-Cl, Na-K-2Cl cotransport systems, or Na+-H+ and Cl(-)-HCO3- exchangers. The reshrinking of hypotonically swollen cells is termed regulatory volume decrease (RVD) and involves an efflux of KCl and water from the cell by activation of either separate K+ and Cl-conductances, a K-Cl cotransport system, or parallel K+-H+ and Cl(-)-HCO3- exchangers. The biochemical mechanisms involved in the activation of transport systems are largely unknown, however, the phosphoinositide pathway may be implicated in RVI; phorbol esters, cGMP, and Ca2+ affect the process of volume regulation. Renal tubular cells, as well as the blood cells that traverse the medulla, are subjected to increasing osmotic gradients from the corticomedullary junction to the papillary tip, as well as changing interstitial and tubule fluid osmolarity, depending on the diuretic state of the animal. Medullary cells from the loop of Henle and the papilla can volume regulate by activating Na-K-2Cl cotransport or Na+-H+ and Cl(-)-HCO3- exchange systems. Both Na-Cl and Na-K-2Cl cotransport systems have been identified in the medullary Loop of Henle and it is postulated that the Na-K-2Cl cotransport system predominates during RVI and affects transepithelial NaCl transport while the Na-Cl cotransport system may function during RVD in these cells.

K-Cl transport systems in rabbit renal basolateral membrane vesicles.

The transport pathways for chloride in basolateral membrane vesicles from the rabbit renal cortex were investigated. 36Cl uptake was stimulated by the presence of potassium in the uptake media compared with sodium or N-methyl-D-glucamine. In addition, potassium (86Rb) uptake was stimulated more by chloride than by nitrate or gluconate. Neither of these processes was further stimulated by potassium gradients plus valinomycin, suggesting the presence of an electrically neutral K-Cl cotransport system. A magnesium-induced chloride conductance was also found in the basolateral membrane vesicles. In the absence of magnesium, the chloride conductance was low; valinomycin and an inwardly directed potassium gradient did not stimulate 36Cl uptake, anthracene-9-carboxylic acid did not inhibit 36Cl uptake, and valinomycin did not stimulate chloride-dependent 86Rb uptake. However, in the presence of 1 mM magnesium, opposite results were obtained; valinomycin and an inwardly directed potassium gradient stimulated 36Cl uptake, anthracene-9-carboxylic acid inhibited 36Cl uptake, and valinomycin stimulated chloride-dependent 86Rb uptake. Therefore, an electrically neutral K-Cl cotransport and magnesium-induced chloride conductance were found in renal cortical basolateral membrane vesicles prepared from the rabbit renal cortex.

Lack of potassium effect on Na-Cl cotransport in the medullary thick ascending limb.

The effect of potassium on sodium chloride uptake into rabbit renal medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (mTALH) cells was studied to assess whether K participates in the Na-Cl cotransport system. Na uptake into the mTALH cells was inhibited 70% at 3 min by 1 mM furosemide. The total and furosemide-sensitive Na uptake was stimulated by Cl. Additionally, Cl uptake into the mTALH cells was stimulated by Na gradients and inhibited 42% at 3 min by 1 mM furosemide. Na uptake was studied in the presence of 0,5, or 140 mM external K gradients. Na uptake was similar in the absence and presence of K. Additionally, furosemide inhibited Na uptake as effectively in the absence or presence of K. Similar studies were conducted to study the effects of Na on 86Rb uptake. Na did not stimulate 86Rb uptake. The uptake of 86Rb was similar in the presence of 0,5, or 140 mM Na gradients. Furosemide had no significant inhibitory effect on 86Rb uptake. Barium (5 mM), an inhibitor of K conductance pathways, inhibited total 86Rb uptake by 19%. In the presence of 5 mM BaCl2, Na still did not have a stimulatory effect on 86Rb uptake. The results confirm the existence of a Na-Cl cotransport system in mTALH cells, but a direct effect of K on the NaCl cotransport system could not be demonstrated under the experimental conditions we used.

Effect of osmolarity on cation fluxes in medullary thick ascending limb cells.

The effects of a hypertonic extracellular medium on furosemide-sensitive Na and K fluxes were studied in isolated cells from the rabbit medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (mTALH). In the control incubation medium, the furosemide-sensitive 22Na uptake was 379.1 +/- 24.4 pmol . mg protein-1 . min-1 and the furosemide-sensitive 86Rb uptake was 30.5 +/- 16.9. The furosemide-sensitive 22Na flux was not stimulated by K gradients directed into the cells, and, conversely, the furosemide-sensitive 86Rb flux was not stimulated by Na gradients directed into the cells. These findings are consistent with a Na-Cl cotransport system. In the presence of 200 mM mannitol, the furosemide-sensitive 22Na and 86Rb fluxes were increased dramatically to 919.4 +/- 76.6 and 106.1 +/- 29.2 pmol . mg protein-1 . min-1, respectively. When the osmolarity of the incubation medium was increased, not only were the furosemide-sensitive fluxes increased but these fluxes became inter-dependent, i.e., removing Na or K prevented the increase in the furosemide-sensitive flux of the other cation. This finding is consistent with a Na-K-2Cl cotransport system in the mTALH cells. The data suggest that the Na-Cl and the Na-K-2Cl cotransport systems may be distinct functions of the same furosemide-sensitive cotransport system and that their expression may be regulated by changes in cell volume.

K-Cl cotransport systems.

The KCl cotransporter in the basolateral membrane of renal tubules may play a central role in the transcellular transport of NaCl. Because this transporter is electrically neutral, and also functions in parallel to the electrogenic Na,K-ATPase, there is an imbalance in charge which must be expressed as a cationic current across the basolateral membrane. Therefore, other pathways must also function in the basolateral membrane which permit the conductive exit of K+ in addition to the electrically-neutral KCl cotransporter. Another functional role for the KCl cotransporter is manifest during the cell volume regulatory response to cell swelling. In this setting (regulatory volume decrease), it appears that both electrically-neutral and electrically-coupled KCl efflux pathways are acutely activated. Very little is known at present about the mechanisms of short and long term regulation of the KCl cotransporter. A major obstacle at this point is the lack of a suitable, potent (that is, microM range) specific inhibitor of this transporter. It also appears that the chloride transport systems in basolateral membrane vesicles may be greatly influenced by the precise details of the method of preparation. Once these experimental details are mastered, and a suitable high affinity inhibitor is identified, then the detailed characterization and identification of the KCl cotransporter can be undertaken.

p-Aminohippuric acid transport into brush border vesicles isolated from flounder kidney.

p-Aminohippuric acid (PAH) transport was investigated in brush border vesicles isolated from renal proximal tubules of the winter flounder. Three characteristics of carrier-mediated transport were demonstrated: 1) unlabeled PAH inhibited the uptake of [3H]PAH; 2)[3H]PAH efflux from the vesicles was stimulated in the presence of unlabeled PAH in the extravesicular medium; and 3) PAH influx was inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyano-2,2'-disulfonic stilbene (SITS). D-Glucose plus a sodium gradient stimulated PAH uptake, as did a K2SO4 gradient plus valinomycin, suggesting that PAH is transported as an anion. In contrast, PAH uptake into a membrane fraction containing mainly basal-lateral plasma membranes exhibited a larger inhibition by probenecid but a smaller inhibition by unlabeled PAH and SITS. Thus, carrier-mediated transfer of PAH driven by the electrochemical potential difference for PAH is demonstrated in the brush border membrane of the flounder kidney.

Sodium-chloride transport in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Oxygen consumption studies in isolated cells.

Isolated cells were prepared from the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TALH) and the response of oxygen consumption was correlated with the active chloride transport system found in these cells. Oxygen consumption was 31.6 microliters O2/mg protein . h and inhibited 50% by the absence of either sodium or chloride in the incubation medium. The absence of both sodium and chloride produced no further inhibition of oxygen consumption. Ouabain (10(-4) M) inhibited oxygen consumption by 50% and the inhibitory effect depended on the presence of both sodium and chloride in the incubation medium. Further, furosemide inhibited oxygen consumption by a maximum of 50% at 10(-3) M and also had no inhibitory effect if either sodium or chloride were absent. Furosemide had no effect on the Na, K-ATPase activity or ATP levels of the TALH cells. Thus, the data suggest or ATP levels of the TALH cells. Thus, the data suggest that 50% of the oxygen consumption of the TALH cells is related to the movement of sodium and chloride into the cell and that the ions may be transported in a coupled manner. In addition the effect of various diuretics on oxygen consumption in the isolated TALH cells was tested. The diuretics could be grouped in three categories: (1) highly effective in inhibiting chloride-dependent oxygen consumption with an apparent inhibitory constant (Ki) of around 10(-6) M, including the diuretics furosemide, bumetanide, ethacrynic acid-cysteine and piretanide, (2) diuretics which were less effective in inhibiting oxygen consumption with an apparent Ki of around 10(-4) M, HOE 740 and ethacrynic acid, and (3) diuretics which were ineffective in inhibiting chloride-dependent oxygen consumption, amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide.

Dibutyryl cyclic AMP inhibits transport dependent QO2 in cells isolated from the rabbit medullary ascending limb.

Because the medullary thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle is the target of several polypeptide hormones that stimulate adenyl cyclase in this nephron segment, we examined the effects of cyclic AMP on thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle cells isolated by enzymatic digestion and density gradient centrifugation from the outer medulla of the rabbit kidney. The functional parameter that was measured was transport dependent oxygen consumption. Oxygen consumption was measured using a polarographic oxygen electrode in a constant temperature chamber. We found that dibutyryl cyclic AMP inhibited oxygen consumption in a dose dependent way. Maximal inhibition was observed at a concentration of 10(-5) M. The effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was not present in the absence of either sodium, chloride or both implying that its effect is restricted to the sodium and chloride dependent oxygen consumption. The effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was additive to that of furosemide 10(-4) M while that of furosemide was not additive to that of cyclic AMP suggesting that the site of action of cyclic AMP is distal to that of furosemide. The effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP was not additive to that of ouabain and was absent in cells where oxygen consumption was stimulated with amphotericin B in the absence of chloride indicating that it has no effect on Na-K-ATPase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)